


Br...eathe.

by HanaTheMighty



Series: In-Universe Ninja Ship Party [1]
Category: Ninja Sex Party - Fandom
Genre: Comfort, I'm not sorry, In-Universe RPF, M/M, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Physical Disability, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Screaming, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 05:48:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14562225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HanaTheMighty/pseuds/HanaTheMighty
Summary: Brian has a nightmare of what was. Danny reminds him of whatis.





	Br...eathe.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bo-Writes-Stuff](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Bo-Writes-Stuff).



Brian shot up in bed, sweat pouring down his forehead. He shot his hands up to his mask, ripping it off of his face, trembling; he was gasping, choked wheezes replacing the sobs he’d once been able to make.

He could still taste the iron on his tongue, if he thought about it.

The figure next to him hummed, and Brian looked over in a panic. In the darkness, his face was unrecognizable, save for the mound of oily fluff that rested on the pillows messily. His mind raced, trying to remember his name.

De… Devin… no… D… D… can’t breathe… oh God… D… Da...

Brian sobbed, his body jolting as a twitch surged through his body. He couldn’t remember his name. In his panic, in his fear, he couldn’t remember the man’s name.

He whined, taking his fingers to his forehead and tearing downwards with his nails. The shooting burn that accompanied it calmed the ache in his lungs, soothed the way the scar on his throat felt tender and raw. He ripped his hands down his face again, again, again, desperately trying to feel something, anything else than the sharp piercing of metal on his neck. The way the cold iron slashed the skin, dove through muscles and tendons, sawing, sawing, sawing, deeper. How each fold in his throat that allowed him to scream began to fill with blood as it was severed, how the taste of iron ran into the back of his throat, how he writhed as he tried to fill the air with something to make his presence known--

Then there were hands on his, pulling them off his face. Brian’s reflexes tore them away, trying to slap what had grabbed them. Instead, the figure ducked; and with the same tenderness as before, he took Brian’s hand again. In the moonlight, under the bush of hair, Brian could see his lips moving.

Was he saying something? He couldn’t hear, what was he..?

B… Brian. He was saying Brian. Over and over and over.

Brian. Brian. Brian.

Br...eathe. Breathe.

Brian, breathe. Brian. Brian. Breathe, Brian.

What was his name?

Brian sobbed harder. Everything on him was hurting. He wanted this to end.

One of the hands moved into his hair, rumbling over each goosebump, trailing down the part of his hair until it reached his neck, where it clambered up like a spider. Then it was at the top again, moving downwards with the rhythmic pulsing of his fingers, down to his neck, and the spider crawled back again.

Brian took a deep breath. The spider-hand, seeing this as a good thing, continued that pattern. Rhythmic pulses moving down, spider steps moving up. 

The noise in Brian’s head began to slow, and words became audible, as though buried underwater.

“...’s right, there we go. Easy breaths, now... ...od, very good. Brea… ...eeply for me, there we go…”

The words came in and out, like passing trains. Each time they vanished his thoughts raced again, and Brian whined pitifully, trying to bring the other sound back. 

The spider-hand began its descent down Brian’s scalp again.

“..ere we go. I’m right here, there we g… ...ust deep breaths, you’ve go… ust like that.”

Deep breaths. He could make that much out. Would that bring the voice back?

Brian tried. Deep breaths. His throat burned, the feeling of metal ripping at his neck, and he winced; another hand, the other spider, moved delicately over his upraised scar.

“..ou can breathe. Nothing’s there. It’s not real.”

Again. Still metal, poking through his flesh like netting. He sobbed loudly, trying to scream that he couldn’t breathe, that the knife was there, cutting him, why won’t they take it away?

Instead, a horrible moaning sound came out instead, rumbling and zombie-like. His chest tightened as he tried to stop the screaming he was making.

“Jesus, Brian… it’s okay…” The voice faded out again, he lost sentence after sentence. Brian just sobbed more as he tried to bring it back.

“...’s okay. Listen to me. Ca… ...mething for me? Nod if you hear…”

Nod if you hear me. Brian nodded rapidly, gasping. Why wouldn’t the voice stay?

“...ay, okay. Do you remeb… ...name?”

Name? Who’s name?

Brian opened his eyes, peering into the familiar stranger’s eyes with desperation. 

“...y name, do you remember my…”

“My name.” No, he didn’t. Devin? No, it… D… Damie… no, it…

Brian shook his head, trying to claw his hands into the stranger’s chest, trying to hold onto him like an anchor. The hands just ran down his hair, moving Brian’s arms to where they needed to be.

“...nny. My name’s Danny. Do y… ...ber that?”

Danny.

Yes, Danny. He remembered that name. Danny was… here. He was real. Danny. 

Brian mouthed Danny’s name into his shoulder, wishing he could push the words from his severed vocal cords. The str-Danny hummed at the feeling.

“I’m right here. It’s okay.”

The noise… it was coming back. Brian wrapped his legs around Danny’s chest, praying that would make the voice stay.

“Just breathe, Bri. It’s okay. I’m right here. Deep breaths. I’m right here. You’re safe.”

He could feel something tingling at the end of his aura, warm against the cold barrier it had placed. He didn’t even have to invite it in, as it slipped in on its own. The warmth began to wrap around him, white light in darkness, numbing the harshness that took over his body.

Slowly, he started to feel peace.

“There we go, Brian. There we go. Nice and easy. There we go.”

Brian took another breath. The knife was gone, there was no burning. He took another breath, another.

“There we go. See? It’s okay. We’re safe. It was just a dream. Just a dream, baby.”

Brian pulled his face back, looking to Danny. His features, usually so strong and seductive, were soft and worried. He watched his plump lips smile carefully, before pressing a warm finger to Brian’s nose.

“There’s my baby girl. Right where I need you.”

Brian moved off of Danny, un-straddling him. He wiped his eyes with his palm.

“Are you back here? Or are you still..?”

Brian trembled as he moved his hands to his chest, trying to sign.

“Here. Apartment. Safe.”

Only broken words filled his thoughts, sentences unable to form.

“Want me to do the talking for ‘ya?”

Brian nodded. More tears slipped down his face.

“I’m sorry.”

Danny clicked his tongue, wrapping his partner in his arms. “No, no, shh. It’s okay. Don’t apologize. You’re safe. It’s okay.”

Brian nodded.

“Just breathe, Brian. I’m not leaving you.”

Br..eathe. Breathe.

Brian could do that.


End file.
